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June 25, 2015

9 Fantastic Alternative Uses for Honey

It’s no secret that honey is a tasty, and healthy addition to almost any meal. But honey has even more healthy uses in addition to being a natural sweetener. We’ve put together 9 of the best alternative uses for honey.

Antiseptic

Honey contains hydrogen peroxide, the chemical most often used for cleaning wounds. In addition, honey offers a moist barrier for the wound and helps form a protective barrier for the wound. The application of honey can be useful even in infected wounds that have not responded to conventional therapy (such as antibiotics). In addition, honey helps with the appearance of stretch marks and scars. Honey is even effective against E. coli and MRSA. Manuka honey is the best choice for commercially-available honey.

Skin Moisturizer

Honey is a great moisturizer and is even gentle enough for people with sensitive skin. One moisturizer recipe involves mixing four tablespoons of honey with two egg whites and a few tablespoons of flour (depending on your desired consistency); stir the mixture until it thickens, and apply is as a moisturizing face mask and/or body lotion.

To simplify things, you can also apply one teaspoon of honey onto clean skin and allow it to moisturize for 15-20 minutes; rinse with warm water. You can also add a small amount of honey to your warm bath water for softer water and softer skin.

Acne Remover

Although it’s gentle enough for a moisturizer, honey is tough on acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Apply a small amount of honey to affected areas of your face to help the pimples disappear. Try this treatment overnight, being sure to cover the areas on which the honey was applied to you don’t spread the sticky to your pillow. Or simply use as a spot treatment, leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse.

Energy Booster

A much healthier and safer option than the many energy drinks on the market, honey is an all-natural way to boost your energy. Simply add a small amount to a glass of water or hot tea. The glucose in honey is absorbed into the bloodstream, reducing fatigue.

Preserve Fruit

Bottle a little bit of summer and preserve your berries in this simple honey sauce. Just combine one part honey to ten parts water and cover your berries. Seal in an airtight jar, and you’ll have summer at your fingertips all year long.

Treatment for Sore Throat

Revered as one of the best treatments for a sore throat, honey coats the throat and soothes the irritation. The sore-throat serum is easy enough: combine 1 tablespoon of honey with hot water and squeeze in the juice from one lemon. You can opt to drink the honey and lemon juice alone, but the water makes it go down a little easier. Either way, stir well, then drink. You can enjoy this concoction as often as necessary to treat your sore throat.

Burn Remedy

For the same reasons that honey is great for acne, scars, inflammation, and as an antiseptic, it is also great for the treatment of burns. Not only does honey help clean the wound (remember that hydrogen peroxide) but it also soothes the area and reduces pain. Apply honey as a dressing for optimal results.

Antibacterial

Similar to its antiseptic properties, honey is great for killing bacteria and germs. Because of its acidic pH balance and viscous base, those tiny microorganisms are trapped in the honey and killed by the pH. Honey can be applied to scratches, wounds, or any inflamed region. You can use it in conjunction with an antiseptic.

Hair Conditioner

The enzymes and nutrients in honey make for a great conditioning treatment for hair. You can add a teaspoon of honey to your shampoo for shinier hair every day. Or, for a more moisturizing treatment, mix one part honey with two parts coconut oil (or olive oil) for deeper penetration; let this mixture sit on your hair for 20 minutes, then rinse.

As you can see, honey has many more uses than just being tasty! For the best results for any of these treatments, look for an organic honey at your health-food store. Even better, find an organic, locally-grown option at your nearest farmer’s market.